Recent advances in microelectronic design and integrated circuit fabrication techniques have enabled advanced design rule integrated circuits and other components to be incorporated as part of electronic assemblies, such as printed circuit boards. When integrated circuits or other components are incorporated as part of larger electronic assemblies, inspection processes may be included as part of the manufacturing process to ensure that the electronic assembly is free from defects such as missing or non-compliant electrical connections between components on the larger electronic assembly. In this regard, x-ray inspection machines may be used to ensure that the electronic assembly is defect-free, but sometimes radiation inspection is avoided in favor of other defect-reduction approaches because radiation may cause defects in the electronic assemblies being inspected. Specifically, X-ray radiation may adversely change materials used in electronic assemblies.
Avoiding the use of X-ray inspection has been difficult, because as critical dimension sizes of electrical components further decrease with each successive generation, these components are becoming more sensitive to radiation. Further, with advancements in technology it has become increasingly difficult to design more densely-packed electronic assemblies and to provide inspection solutions ensuring reliability and performance without exposing components to damaging radiation. New approaches are needed to ensure defect-free electronic assemblies without causing reliability or performance issues associated with inspection radiation damage.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.